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Every Drop Counts

Every Drop Counts

Promoting Health by Removing a Tax on Bottled Water

Communities are becoming increasingly aware that sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) contribute to poor diet and rising obesity rates. Research has also shown a link between SSB consumption and chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

One strategy to decrease SSB consumption and improve population health is to encourage individuals to drink more water. To encourage consumers to buy water instead of sugary drinks, policymakers can remove disincentives to purchase drinking water. In many states, some sales of drinking water are already exempt from taxes.

ChangeLab Solutions developed Every Drop Counts to outline the steps necessary to remove the taxes on bottled water and properly support water consumption. This fact sheet discusses how sales of bottled drinking water are taxed in some states and how these taxes can be removed to make water more affordable and appealing to purchasers.